Shergo Al Kurdi held a one-shot lead with four holes remaining in his opening round at the MENA Golf Tour’s England Q-School, while amateur Harry Butler impressed with a five-under-par finish at the Royal Automobile Club.
Al Kurdi reached six under through 14 holes on the Old Course at Woodcote Park, moving ahead of clubhouse leaders Butler, Italy’s Gianluca Perna and Norway’s Markus Braadlie.
With soft conditions offering opportunities despite the testing weather, Al Kurdi made the most of a course he believes rewards an attacking approach.
“It’s quite a short course, to be honest. Its defences are the greens and the slopes, but it’s so soft at the moment that you can pretty much hit anything off the tee and stop it wherever, so it’s definitely very gettable,” he said.
“I haven’t seen the back nine yet, so it’ll be good to see it fresh for the second round.”
For Al Kurdi, the event also represents a welcome return to a Tour he first experienced as a young amateur. Having secured his Asian Tour card last year, he sees the MENA Golf Tour as an opportunity to maintain his competitive edge.
“I played on the MENA golf Tour a couple of years ago as an amateur, when I was probably 14 or 15, and I loved it so much,” he said.
“When I heard it was coming back I was very pleased, and it’s good to be back. I got my Asian Tour card last year, but I haven’t got much on until the end of the year, so this is great for keeping myself sharp.”
Harry Butler
Butler, meanwhile, underlined his own ambitions with an impressive opening round built around a burst of scoring either side of the turn. Birdies at the ninth, 10th, 11th, 12th and 14th helped the English amateur finish at five under and put himself firmly in contention.
“I felt really good out there. I got on a bit of a roll, birdying 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14,” said Butler. “It was tough playing in the weather, but a great battle.”
Still competing in the amateur ranks, Butler hopes the MENA Golf Tour can provide a platform for the next stage of his career.
“I’m still an amateur, but not for too much longer, I don’t think. The move will come when I get somewhere to play. Hopefully the MENA Tour can give me that pathway towards big things. That would be brilliant.”
His approach to the second round will remain straightforward.
“The game plan for tomorrow is the same again: stay grounded, stay in the moment and just do my best.”
Italy’s Enrico Di Nitto occupied fifth place at four under, one shot ahead of a six-player group comprising Josh Hill, Faisal Salhab, Marc Boucher, Jack Hawksby, Tom Savill and Daniel Mulligan.
Leading scores
| Position | Player | To par | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shergo Al Kurdi | −6 | Through 14 |
| T2 | Harry Butler (a) | −5 | Finished |
| T2 | Gianluca Perna | −5 | Finished |
| T2 | Markus Braadlie | −5 | Finished |
| 5 | Enrico Di Nitto | −4 | Finished |
| T6 | Josh Hill | −3 | Finished |
| T6 | Faisal Salhab | −3 | Finished |
| T6 | Marc Boucher | −3 | Finished |
| T6 | Jack Hawksby | −3 | Finished |
| T6 | Tom Savill | −3 | Finished |
| T6 | Daniel Mulligan | −3 | Finished |
